Vehicle braking system.



J. N. MAHONEY.

VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.25, 1907. RENBWBD AUG. 1e, 1911.

1,005,252. Patented 001.1111911.

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WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH N. MAHONEY, OF WILKINSBUBG. PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB., BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE WESTINGHOUSE AIB BRAKE CGMPANY, A CORPORATION -OF PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Application led Horch 25, 1907,.Serial No. 364,381. Renewed August 16, 1911. Serial No. 844,453.

for the control of vehicles or trains of ve-I hicles.

The object of my inventlon 1s to provide a system of the class above indicated that shall be simple in arrangement and that.

shall embody im` roved means for automati' cally applying' t e brakes, such application being dependent upon a material dimunition, either in theiluid pressure of the train pipe or in the volt-age of the control circuits and that shall also embody means for applying the brakes, sucssively upon both sections of a divided train, such operation being dependent u divisions om each other.

Fluid ressure braking systems for railway vehicles have heretofore been so arranged that the brakes were automatically applied upon a material dimunition of the pressure in a train line or pipe which formed a continuous 'connection between one or more supply sources of fluid pressure and the several vehicles of which the train was composed. If a train so equipped becomes divided or separated into sections, the train line is ruptured and its Huid pressure is thus reduced. Although the brakes are applied to both sections of the train, at substantially the same time because of the reduction of iiuid pressure, the two sections may, in some instances, collide by reason of a more rapid retardation of the head section. .Another well known train braking arrangement comprises independent braklng systems located on the several vehicles of a' train, the simultaneous control of the brakes being' effected by electro-magnets that are controlled through line conductors which extend throughout the length of the train. These systems automatically apply the brakes only upon the detached vehicles in case the train is divided. lith this arrangement. thc forward section of the train may be separated n the separation of the train l train is divided, first upon the detached 4 section and afterward upon the forward section of the train, irrespective of the number of cars in each section.

Figure 1, of the accompanyin drawings, is a diagrammatic view of a bra ing system arranged in accordance with my invention and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a train of vehicles each of which is provided with the braking system of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawingaa vehicle truck 1 is equipped with brakes 2 which are adapted to make frictional engagement with the truck wheels 3 when fluid pressure is supplied to a brake-actuating cylinder 4. The

fluid pressure existing'in the cylinder Ltris Y determined by an admission valve 5 and-a release valve 6 which are pneumatically op erated and which are respectively controlled by auxiliary valves 7 and 8. The valves 7 and 8 are governed by electro-magnet windings 9 and 10 which are energized 'from any convenient source of electricity, such as battery 11, and are dependent upon the position occupied by a braking controller 12.

Fluid pressure for operating the brakes is i obtained from la primary storage tank 13 which is supplied with energy by "a compressor 14. An electric motor 15 is shown as employed for driving the compressor but the latter may be geared to the truck Y axle or be actuated by any other suitable means. A train line or pipe 16 is connected directly to the primary storage tank 13 and conveys fluid pressure to an intermediate storage tank 17 through a stop cock .18 and a check valve 19. i

Under normal operating1 conditions, the admission valve 5 is closed and release `valve G, control valve and control valve 8 are open. obtain, the controller l2 or atleast aconti'oller on one vehicle of the train (usually the foremost one) must occupy a position when circuit connections may be traced as follows: Energy is supplied from battery 11 In order that `these conditions shall through conductor 20 and a train line conductor 21 to a contact finger 22 of the controller 12. Thercircuit is established from contact finger 22 through contact member 23, linger 24, conductors 25, 26, and 27, magnet winding 9 and a negative battery conductor l so.

28. Another circuit is established from contact iinger 22 through contact member 23, finger 29, conductors 30, 31, and 32, magnet winding 10 qf the valve 8 and the negative battery conductor 28. The structure of the valves 7 and 8 is such that they are held open by the magnet windings 9 and 10, when ener ized, in opposition to srings 33 and to the fluid pressure which is a mitted through the valves. a

Assuming that normal fluid pressure is maintained in the train line 16, pressure is admitted, when valve 7 is open, through a pipe 34 and the valve 7 to a chamber 35 of the valve 5. The pressure in this chamber is suil'icient to move a dplunger 36 in opposition to a spring 37 an the valve 5 1s closed. Fluid pressure is also supplied, when valve 8 is opened, from the train line 16 through a pipe 38, and valve 8 to a chamber 390i the valve 6, 1n consequence of which this valve is opened and the pressure in brake cylinder 4 is exhausted through a ort 40.

The brakes may be app ied by an attendant by moving the controller 12 from the l position to a position e in which contact lingers 24 and 29 are disengaged from the contact member 23. In this position, electro-magnet windings 9 and 10 are denervgiaed and the valves 7 and 8 are closed by reason ofthe fluid pressure in pipes 34 and 38. vThe chambers 35 and 39 are exhausted through ports 41 and42, which are open when the valves 7 and 8 are closed, and the s rings 37 and 43 serve to respectively open tlie valve 5 and close the valve 6. The exhaust port 40 is thereby closed and the admissionn valve 5 is opened so that iuid pressure Vis supplied from the intermediate storage tank 1 to the brake cylinder.

After iiuicl pressure has been admitted to the brake cylinder it may be retained, withv'out holding the admisslon valve open, by

moving the controller 12 to a position y 1n which the fingers 22 and 24 engage the contact member 23, so that the magnet winding 9 is energized and the valves 5 and 6 are both closed.

If the controller 12 occupies position m and the brakes are released, energy may be admitted automatically to the brake cylinder 4 upon a material diminution in the pressure existing in the train pipe 1.6, since a reduction of pressure at this point will materially reduce the pressure in the chambers 35 and 39 (valves 7 and 8 being opened) and since the pressure in the intermediate storage tank is not affected by a reduction ot pressure in the train line, on account of the check valve 19. A similar result may be effected by an interruption of circuits through the electrfrmagnets 9 and 10.

The special advantages in thel braking system of my present invention may be more readily observed when applied to a train of vehicles, as illustrated 1n Fig. 2, than when considered in connection with a single vehicle, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Reference may now be had to Fig. 2, in which a train comprising cars A, B, and C is. shown diagrammatically, parts which are similar to those shown in Flg. l, being designated by the same reference numerals. The positive and negative terminals of the batteries 11 are interconnected by train line conductors 44 and 21, and contact fingers 24 and 29 on the several controllers are connected by train line conductors 26 and 31 In this way, although active batteries may be carried on each car, energy supplied to the magnet windings 9 and 10 may be controlled from any one of the controllers, usually the one located on the foremost car of the train. Assuming that car A is the foremost car of the train; that controller 12 on this car occupies position and that the corresponding controllers on the cars B and C occupy positionse, circuit connections may be traced as follows: En er is supplied to the ma et windings 9 an 10 of the vehicle A, as ereinbefore described for the system illustrated in Fig. 1 and energy will also be supplied from the positive terminals of the batteries 11, through train line conductor 21 and controller 12 of vehicle A, line conductors 26 and 31, conductors 27 and 32 and magnet windings 9 and 10 of vehicle B to the negative terminal of the battery 1-1 on this vehicle or through train line conductor 44 to the negative terminal of battery 11. Energy may be similarly supplied to the valve magnets o't other vehicles. If the vehicles B and C should become detached from the vehicle A or the vehicle C detached from the remaining vehicles, the. magnet windin 9 and 10 on each of'l the detached Vve icles will becomeiiminediatcly denerl gized on the interruptlonpijtlie train lines 21, 44, 26, and 31. Themagnet 9l`an'd 10 on the vehicle A, which represents the'head section of the train, are -st1ll energized, but, by reason of the interruption of theirain pipe 16,the fluid pressure existing at this point will be materially reducedand the chambers 35 and 39, as already explained. in connection with Fig. 1,`will be slowly exhausted so that the valves 5 and 6 will occupy such a position as to admit fluid pressure from the storage tank to the brake cylinder 4.

lt will be readily understood that the 's- Inultaneous interruption of the elec-tric circuit lines and the ,train pipo 16 will lirst Locmaria effect the application of the brakes on the detached section and afterward on the head section, sincethe latter results from a more or less gradual diminution of the pressure in the chambers 35 and 39. In this way, all danger of collision between the two sections is avoided, considerable time may be saved, and the possibility of accident reduced by 'bringing the forward section to rest within a` reasonable distance.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fluid pressure braking system, the combination with a main supply pipe or conduit and a brake cylinder, of a neumatically operated cont-rol valve there or, an actuating magnet for the control v alve, and means for automatically supplyibeing either de endent upon a material diminution of t e pressure in the supply pipe or a denergization of the actuating magnet.

2. In a Huid pressure braking system, the combination with a main supply pilpe'or conduit, lan auxiliary reservoir supplied therefrom, and a brake cylinder, of a pneumatically operated admission valve between the auxiliary reservoir and the cylinder, ,an electrically voperated control valve therefor, an actuatin magnet vfor the control valve,

4. In a fluid pressure `bral'ring system, the ly e, and a brake combination with a supp cylinder, of an admission ya ve, an electric control magnet therefor, and means for automatically supplying Huid pressure to the brake cylinder, said means being `operative upon either a material diminution of the pressure in the supply pi-pe 0i' a dee'nergization of the control magnet.

5. In a vehicle braking system, the-combination with a brake cylinder, a supply tank, a feed pipe, a check valve between the feed pipe and the supply tank. an admission valve, and :in electric control magnet therefor, of means for automatically su iplying fluid pressure lo the brake cylinder romuthe supply tank. said means being dependent cilhcr upon :i material diminution of the fluid pressure in the feud pipo or a denergizutiou of thc control iiuigiiot.

(l. In u vehicle braking system, the conifiuid pressure to the brake cylinder, sai meansv pressrebraking system, the' bination with a brake cylinder, a supply tank, a feed pipe, a check valve between the feed'pi e and the supply tank, an admission valie, and an electric control magnet therefor, of means for automatically supplying fluid pressure to the brake cylinder, said means bein dependent upon a material diminution of die fluid pressure inthe feed pine.

7. In a vehicle braking'system, the combination with a brake cylinder, a supply tank, a feed pipe, a' check valvebetween the feed pipe and the supply tank, an admission valve, and an electric control magnet therefor, of means for automatically supplying` fluid pressure to the brake cylinder, said means being dependent upon the denergization of the control magnet.

8. In a vehicle braking system, the combination with a brake cylinder, a supply tank, a feed i e, a check valve between the feed pipe and, t e supply tank, an admission valve, and an electric control magnet therefor, of means for either suddenly supplying Huid ressure to the brake cylinder by reason o a denergization of the control magnet or more gradually -suppl ing fluid pressure to the brake cylinder y reason of a material diminution of the fiuidlpressure in the feed pipe. 9. In a train of vehicles, the combination with braking devices mounted on the Vehicles, of means, dependent upon the detachment from the train of one or more Vehicles, for automatically rendering said dcvices operative first on the det-ached vehicles and afterward on the remaining vehicles.

10. In a train of vehicles, the combination with fluid pressure brakin 4 cylinders, admis- Vsion valves, and electrical y operated control Valves therefor severally mounted on the vehicles, a fluid supply pipe and control conductors `that extend the entire length of the train, of* means de endent upon the rupture of the control conductors, for first bringing the detached vehicles to rest, and means, de-

pendent uponthe diminution of pressure resulting from the rupture of the supply pipe, for bringing the remaining Vehicles to rest. 11. In a train of vehicles, the combination with VHuid' pressure braking cylinders, admissionvalyes, electricall operated control valves therefor, and auxi iary stora e reservoirs severally mounted on the ve icles, a fiuid supply pipe and control conductors that extend the entire length of the train, of means, dependent upon the detachment from the train of one orniorc vehicles, for automatically applying' the brakes on the dctached train section first andoii tlieremaining section afterward.

12. In a train of vehicles, the combination with Huid pressure braking cylinders, admission vulves. electrically operated control valves therefor, and auxiliary storage reservoire severally mounted on the vehicles, a uid supply p'ipe and control conductors that extend the entire length of the train of means, dependentupon the rupture o the control conductors, for sup lying the brakes in case one or more vehic es become detached, and means, dependent upon the rupture of the supply line, for applying the brakes on the main train section.

13. In a train of vehicles, the combination with Huid pressure braking cylinders, admission valves, electrically operated control valves therefor, and auxiliary Stora e reservoirs severally mounted on the v icles, a

uid supply pipe and control conductors that extend the .entirelength of the train, and means, dependent. upon al detachment from the train of one or more vehicles, for applying the brakes on all the vehcles,'the brakes on the. rear section of the train bein supplied rst. 4 A

n testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed by name this 5th day of March, 1907.

J. MAHONEY.

Witnesses:

HOWARD L, BEACH,

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